. @vijisathy shared the territorial acknowledgement from #POD19. Reminded me of what we do @ubcokanagan and especially, what happened at the 2019 UBC Okanagan Learning Conference https://twitter.com/vijisathy/status/1200033378738814976

Nearly every big meeting, town hall, ceremony @ubcokanagan begins with a territory acknowledgement, "We respectfully acknowledge that the UBC Okanagan campus is situated on the unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation."

I understand* this is an important step towards reconciliation. I'm glad we hear this statement so often. I fear it's losing its impact though. I hate to think it's becoming just another bit of boilerplate.

* more on "understand" below

Which brings me to last year's UBC Okanagan Learning conference. I asked an organizing sub-committee to plan something definitively meaningful to open the conference, and my @UBCOSOE friend and colleague, Jannik Eikennar, stepped up.

He gave us a brief lesson on why territory acknowledgements are important. And then turned it over to us: "Turn to the people around you. What does it mean to YOU to work on this land? Write YOUR OWN acknowledgement."

Wow, suddenly this got meaningful. And hard. Wait, what, you want me - me? - to think about indigeneity and colonization and reconciliation? Um, "We respectfully acknowledge, um, the...that thing..."

But we stuck with it, together, with each Jannik's and each other's help. I mean, it must have meant something because here I am, 9 months later, still remembering the experience!

Here's what I wrote, and now include on the title slide of PPT presentations I deliver @ubcokanagan:

"I acknowledge the UBC Okanagan campus is situated on the territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. I acknowledge I don’t properly understand what that means for learning, and it's up to me to ask for help."

I'm proud @ubcokanagan has worked so hard with the Okanagan Nation to build this campus and community together. And I'm grateful for friends like Jannik who have the skills to help others learn.